Finding the Sunshine
by Danielle Christine
Summary: Daryl had been alone for awhile now. He left the group after Terminus, not wanting to watch another member of his family be torn apart. Alone, all he had to worry about was himself. When he stumbles across an abandoned camp, and find a piece of paper torn from a journal, he can't help his mind from wondering. Could it be? Is Beth still alive? Can he find her? (A Bethyl Story. ))
1. A piece of Paper

_**Authors Note:**_

_**I am so enamored with the number of followers that I have for this story, that I believe it deserves to be a little bit better for all of you. This was the first fanfic I began, and it started out a little hurried in my opinion. I am going to thoroughly re-read and rewrite the first half of this story and make it a little bit better in my eyes. Nothing will change that changes the story here, but I might add in extra conversations, memories or descriptive properties. You DO NOT have to reread the entire story, but if you want to, I definitely wouldn't deter it. You will be able to find the updated stories by searching for the chapters with formal titles. Those have been updated. Thank you for reading. Please review! I appreciate you. **_

Disclaimer:

_**I do not own TWD in any way, shape or form. Obviously.**_

Time Line:

_**This story takes place after the season 4 finale. **_

Daryl was silent, hunkered down between two trees and waiting patiently for them to come into view. He was strategically positioned across from a wild mushroom patch that anyone in their right mind would be gathering food from. He'd been tracking this group for awhile now, all because of a stupid slip of paper with a single sentence scribbled on the top:

"Even the darkest night will end, and the Sun will rise."

Two sets of male feet, and one slightly smaller, more feminine set. His gut was spinning, saying that it could be her. He tried to shake the feeling off, telling himself he was crazy, knowing that more then likely she was long dead.

He'd given up hope of finding Beth a long time ago. It'd been over a year since the funeral home. Watching Beth be taken was the hardest thing he'd ever done in his whole life. Harder then putting down Merle. Harder then watching Sophia come from the barn. He was supposed to protect her, help her. She was supposed to remind him that not all people were bad. They could've made a life for themselves at that place. Together. Instead, he watched her be drug away, against her will, and he couldn't do a God damned thing about it. Taken God knows where by God knows who. Probably tortured, beaten, and maybe they even…

Daryl spent a lot of time with his mind on Beth, thinking about what she could possibly be going through. Eventually, he found some comfort just telling himself she was dead, but in his heart he never really believed that either. She wasn't just another dead girl to him. Never would be. She was a fighter, a warrior, and Daryl knew she wouldn't give up on herself.

When Daryl had finally reunited with the group and had to tell them what had happened, he was just a shell of himself. They saw that, he thought, and that's why they didn't bombard him with a million useless questions that wouldn't do anything but make him remember.

Since that night he had just been going through the motions, surviving, but not allowing anyone to get close to him, in any way. He couldn't lose anyone else. He wouldn't. Then, after every thing that happened at Terminus, Daryl was just done. He was done fighting for everyone else. Done getting close to people to only watch them die. Done.

He set out on his own, saying goodbye to the group and to Rick. That was a month ago, and Daryl had been alone since, just moving. He had no mission in mind, no place to be. He came upon their tracks one day, found a piece of paper with that simple sentence on it. It reminded him of the diary she used to keep way back at the Prison. And he just followed.

It wasn't until he heard them talking that he knew his gut wasn't as crazy as he thought. They had her. They had Beth.

"She sings at night," a skinny blonde kid said as he picked through the mushroom patch. "Says she's got a group out there somewhere."

"I heard her.," the older, scruffier man said as he kept watch. Daryl was pretty much hiding in plain sight, and he told himself it was a miracle these idiots had survived this long.

"Can we keep her around, Dad?," the kid asked, The old man just scoffed.

_Listen to that little shit_, Daryl thought to himself. _Talking about the girl like she is a damned puppy or something_. Slowly, making as little noise as possible, he snuck around the trees until he was standing a few feet behind the kid. Then, reaching back, he pulled an arrow from his bag.

"Tell me where the hell she is, or pretty boy here get's a mouth full," Daryl said as he grabbed the kid from behind. In another time and place, he supposed that this kid probably would've turned out alright. But this was their time, their reality, and finding good people was about as hard as finding your _own_ people.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the father said, holding his hands up in surrender. Daryl gripped the boys head tighter, pushing the tip of the arrow into his throat just slightly. A thin line of bright red blood began to run down his throat.

"Singing blonde? She's mine, brother. Part of _my _group," he said firmly. "Now, you're gonna take me to her, or my arrows gonna go through Juniors throat."

"Don't do anything crazy, guy. Okay? I'll take you to her. Just let him go."

"That's not how things work, old man. I'll let him go when you take me to her," Daryl countered. The man said nothing, just glared at Daryl. "Well go on then," he said nodding the father ahead of him, still holding the arrow to the young ones back. "I ain't got all fucking day."

The twenty minute walk back to their camp seemed to take forever. He tried hard as all get out not to get his hopes up. He wondered how many blondes were left in the world that still liked to sing. He could imagine that there probably weren't many.

Finally, they came to two small tents and a slowly fading fire. No one seemed to be there. He looked around and noticed the cans tied to ropes that were wrapped around the trees. Wasn't that what they used to do? To warn against walkers?

"Where is she?," he demanded, throwing the kid to the ground by his father and aiming the arrow at both of them. "BETH!," he screamed as he walked toward the first tent. He opened the slat with his free hand, arrow still pointed at the men, and found it empty. "BETH!," he screamed again going toward the other tent and repeating the same steps.

"Where is she?," he cried angrily. "What did you do to her?" All of Daryls rational thoughts faded away. He kicked the fire, sending embers into the nearby tent, starting a slowly spreading fire. Daryl turned toward the boy and the man, and alternated pointing the arrows at their heads. His head was spinning, confused, muddled. He could hardly see straight, every thing was a blur. A hundred walkers could've come from the forest and he probably would still just be standing there, aiming an arrow and these two, these two who had just stolen his only hope for happiness.

"On your knees, boys," he said in an eerie tone, almost devoid of any emotion at all. They complied, and Daryl pulled back the bow. He was ready to release, when he heard her.

"Daryl!," Beth screamed as she ran through the trees. He turned his head, seeing her, but not really believing that he was. "Daryl!," she said stopping, noticing that he held an arrow at her saviors heads. "Daryl! They saved me. Don't hurt them.," she pleaded as she inched her way closer to the three of them. He turned toward her slowly, finally taking the arrow off of the others. They sighed in relief as they fell back on their bottoms.

When Daryl and Beth finally reached each other, they just stood staring in awe. Her eyes met his. They were the most kind, beautiful eyes he had ever seen, eyes he had never thought he would see again. She smiled at him slowly. He felt his brain begin to clear, the red fade. His walls were breaking down. Suddenly his knees gave way underneath him, months of fatigue and sadness and yes, even fear, weighed him down. She was alive. She was fine. She was there.

He dropped to his knees in front of her, shaking. She reached out for him, cupping the back of his head and pulling it to her stomach. He wrapped his arms around her impulsively, holding on for dear life. She put one hand on his shoulder, her hands rubbing his skin in a soothing manner. The other hand held his head to her as she stroked his hair.

Daryl pulled back and he looked up at her, making sure one more time that he wasn't crazy. He saw her, standing above him. Same blue eyes. Same blonde hair. Same Beth. And Daryl smiled.


	2. Last One Standing

Her body was still sore. It'd only been a few days since Bill and Mac had come across her, chained to a tree like a piece of meat while her captors went on a hunt for food.

"How many?," the older man asked as he cautiously walked over to her to inspect the chains.

"Two. They got the key," she responded quickly. "They're out looking for something to eat. Should be back soon."

"We can't just leave her here, Dad," the younger boy said, looking over at his father.

"Please," Beth pleaded. "They've had me for months. You have no idea what it's been like. These men are worse then the walkers. Heard em' saying they were just gonna kill me soon and be done with it."

"Mac," the older man said with a sigh. "Hide under the brush there. I'm going to take this side. We'll shoot on my signal."

"Thank you," Beth sighed. She slumped back against the tree, hoping this was finally the beginning of the end. Her captors came crunching through the trees an hour or so later, empty handed and angrier then she'd ever seen them. They walked over to her, and stood above her menacingly.

"Well Scooter," the ugliest one began. "Could always eat the girl. Lord knows she's plenty tasty," said kneeling in front of her and running his hands down her chest, over her breast. Beth pulled her head back, his rancid breath invading all of her senses as it had many times before.

"But hell, Jasper. I ain't through with er' yet. Only had her a few months. She's got plenty of life left in er'." He grabbed Beth by her pony tail and forced her head back to look up at him. "Dontcha bitch," he said snarling his toothless smile.

It felt like forever before Mac and Bill signaled each other through the trees. Two harmonized shots ran out through the woods, echoing in every direction. Blood splattered across her face as the two men who had tortured and abused her over the past few months fell to the ground before her.

Mac and Bill had been good to her since then. Granted, they hadn't been together long, but they never hit her. Or touched her. They kept her fed and gave her a tent to sleep in. She helped them set some walker traps, and they talked some, but not much. Beth just didn't feel like talking, even though some nights she would sing to herself as comfort.

She doubted she would ever find her group, her sister. Daryl and Rick and sweet baby Judith. She doubted they were still even alive. Except Daryl, she would think with a smile. She knew he was alive. He would be the last one standing, after all.

Nothing would be right in her world again. She had been hurt and she had been used. Aside from these two men who saved her, she was alone. They would never understand her the way her group had, the way _he_ had.

Mostly, though, she just listened to Mac talk. He told her stories about growing up rich in a nice school with a nice family. He was a good guy. Treated her like a person. Like a lady.

The day had been a normal one. The boys went to hunt, and she walked up to the closest creek to clean herself up. She heard someone scream her name on her way back. Beth was startled, thinking maybe it was Mac. It seemed like a voice she recognized, but she couldn't place it. She ran toward their camp sight, ready to help in any way she could.

It was surreal for Beth, walking up to the camp they made and seeing Daryl standing there, bow raised. It wasn't Mac screaming her name. It was Daryl. He was looking for her, still ready to kill for her and protect her. Her heart jumped in her throat, and she called out to him. She stopped him from hurting Mac and Bill.

The look on his face when he turned to her just about broke her heart. He looked so broken and confused. His hair was longer now, almost completely down to his shoulders. He wore the same black vest and ripped jeans, but his arms bore new scars. His beard had grown. He looked older, but still as handsome as she ever thought he was.

She didn't expect him to drop to his knees in front of her. It was very un-Daryl like to openly show his emotions. But for the first time, in a long time, she felt like Beth as she comforted an old friend. His arms came around her and she held him to her. And when he smiled up at her, she thought that just maybe, she would be alright after all.


	3. Good Guys

Daryls smile faded slowly and he stood up, embarrassed now more then anything else. He's not the fall to your knees kind of guy. He brushed off the front of his jeans and cleared his throat.

"I'm uh..," he muttered uncomfortably, shifting his feet.

"Good to see ya, too, Daryl," she said with a soft smile. Daryl took in the sight of her, and while she was still pretty, there was a hardness in her eyes that he knew wasn't there before. He noticed the fading bruises around her throat and arms, the darkest being at her wrists. Looked like chains. Daryl bit his cheek, trying to contain his anger. He reached out and picked up her hand, inspecting the bruises. He dropped it just as quick and finally brought his eyes back to her face.

"The bastards that got ya…," he said, obviously fishing for information.

"Gone," she said as she fiddled with her fingers, her thumbs tracing the place his hand just was. Daryl looked behind him at Mac and Bill, who were watching him and Beth closely.

"Dontcha think maybe you ought to put that fire out and mind ya own damn business?," he asked them, spitting at the ground in their direction. They slowly stood and started throwing handfuls of dirt on the small tent fire. He turned his attention back to Beth. "When ya say they gone, ya mean they're dead, right?" She nodded.

Daryl heard a small rustling in the trees behind him and turned sharply.

"Think I just heard our supper," he said casting her his signature half grin. "Don't go no where. I'll be right back," Daryl said as he dashed off into the trees.

"Dad wants to move on in the morning," Mac said brushing the dirt off of his hands. Beth had took a seat on the closest log to the trees that Daryl disappeared into, not quite believing that he left her behind after they had just rediscovered each other. Mac sat down next to her as his father finished putting out the rest of the fire.

"You don't have to," Beth said quietly. "I know Daryl seems a little rough around the edges but he's a good man. He's just been through a lot." Mac laughed.

"There's no one left in the world who hasn't been through a lot. It's hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys. From the looks of him, he could fit right in with the two we got you away from."

"Daryls one of the good guys," she countered, suddenly angry, feeling the need to defend him.

"I believe it if you say it," he said reaching out and taking her hand gently. It was the first time he had ever touched her. She looked down at their hands and was surprised that she couldn't even feel his hand on hers. She was completely numb. She didn't say anything to him. "Beth… If you want us to stay, want _me_ to stay, we will."

"I think ya'll should stay," she said, meaning it. She couldn't imagine how those two had survived so long with no help. They said they were once part of a bigger group, but now it was just the two of them. They had zero wilderness experience and even less walker smarts. If they left them, they would die. She had no doubt.

Daryl stood back in the trees, proud of his catch. Today had really been his lucky day cause' here he was, with two squirrels and a girl he thought he'd never see again. He felt guilty about almost killing those poor bastards, figured giving them one of the squirrels to share should more then apologize for his actions. How the hell was he supposed to know they were some of the good guys. Hell, he didn't even know that there were any good guys left at all.

He could see Beth through the clearing once he got closer to camp. She was sitting next to pretty boy, and it looked as if they were holding hands. His hands itched for his bow. Part of him wanted to take his head of for touching her at all. But he didn't own her and she didn't seem to mind it.

They'd barely even been friends before they were forced to be. Before the moonshine incident, they'd barely ever even spoken to each other, unless it was out of necessity.

They were just thrown together by unfortunate circumstances. Started out a burden to him really. Then she saved his ass a few times and became an equal. Then, he supposed, they became friends. After he lost her, he realized she was the only bright thing he had left in the whole fucked up world.

But naw. He definitely didn't own her. He took a deep breath, reminding himself to just be happy that she was alive.


	4. A Lot of Thangs

Dinner that night was about as awkward as anyone could imagine. Daryl grunted as he threw the extra squirrel meat to the others, his own form of apology, and then sat next to Beth. They tore the meat apart with their fingers, all involved forgetting that manners ever existed. The sun was setting and the silence stretched on.

"I got first watch. Ya'll get some sleep." Daryl said throwing the last of the squirrel bones into the fire. Mac tapped his son on the shoulder, nudging him toward the only tent left.

"Where's Beth going to sleep now?." Mac asked cautiously, glancing between her and Daryl.

"The girls just fine right here," Daryl snapped, glaring at Mac and just daring him to protest. Mac and Bill looked at her still, waiting for her approval.

"It's fine ya'll," she agreed. They sauntered into their tent and Beth heard it zip up behind her. Beth sat next to Daryl in silence for awhile, but their was no more tension in the air. Mac and Bill brought it with them into the tent. She missed this, the silences she shared with Daryl. Surprising her, he was the first to speak.

"Thought ya were dead." he said twirling a small stick in his teeth, trying to get out the bits of squirrel their dinner had left behind.

"I wasn't," she mumbled softly as she traced patterns in the dirt with her fingers. Daryl nodded next to her.

"You aint got to, but if ya want to talk about it…"

"I don't," she said quickly. Daryl wouldn't pressure her. He understood all too well that sometimes it was better to just keep it locked up. Try to forget.

"I ran into the family awhile back," he said casually after another few minutes of silence.

"Maggie?," she asked softly.

"She was fine. Upset about losing ya though. I told er' what I knew. Hoping it'd help but they was all pretty sad."

"Everyone else?"

"Lost Tyreese." he said sadly, knowing he had to say the hardest name next. "We lost Carol."

"I'm sorry, Daryl. I know ya'll were real tight." He nodded.

"You too," he said, remembering how they used to sing together when Carol thought no one was looking.

"I have to find them," she said quietly. He looked over at her and nodded.

"I figured."

Why'd you leave them?," she asked cautiously. Daryl wasn't sure how to answer her. So he just said:

"I wanted to."

"Why," she inquired. He wanted her to drop it, but he knew it wouldn't happen.

"Ya always were a nosy little thang weren't cha?" he asked, peering at her under his overgrown hair. She smiled at him.

"Well are you gonna answer or aren't you?"

"Just didn't quite feel like home any more. Tired of losing."

"Because of me?"

"No!," he said, perhaps too quickly. "Cuz of a lot of thangs."

"You've always been a bad liar, Daryl Dixon," she said smiling over at him. He didn't say anything, just looked at her. If he was trying to intimidate her into silence, it just wasn't going to be that easy. "I told ya you'd miss me when I was gone." She leaned her head over until it touched his shoulder and took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar scent of him, of home.


	5. Keeping Watch

Beth didn't sleep. She couldn't. She knew if she gave in to her exhaustion, that the nightmares would just wake her again. But she let her body rest, her eyes close, and found comfort in the fact that Daryl was right beside her. Halfway through the night, she stretched out, and opened her eyes to find him staring right at her.

"I'd think you were a creep if I didn't know no better," she said as she pulled her shirt down over where her belly button was exposed. Daryl chuckled, looking away.

"Most people think I'm a creep who know me plenty."

"Those were the people before. Everyone who I know? They think you're a stand up guy." He snorted.

"Ya should be sleeping," he said sternly.

"I did," she lied. "It's your turn."

"Well sleep some more. I aint tired."

"Bullshit," she countered. Daryl looked over at her.

"Ya got some mouth on ya, girl." Beth shrugged.

"If you don't rest now, you won't get another chance." Daryl didn't respond, just kept staring at the fire. She scooted up next to him, shoulder to shoulder. "Make me feel a whole lot better, Daryl Dixon, if you'd just lay back awhile." He sighed deeply and leaned back, folding his hands under his head. Beth smiled to herself and began to hum an old church tune quietly. Daryl closed his eyes, and damned if he didn't fall asleep after all.

Beth had curled up next to Daryl some time during the night, not touching him, but close enough to reach out. When the sun beamed on his face the next morning, he opened his eyes and was surprised to see her sleeping right next to him. _So much for keeping watch_, he thought to himself, even though he couldn't bring himself to be mad at her.

He scooted away slowly and began to gather their things in a pile. Figured they'd head out in search of the others as soon as she woke up. Daryl wasn't too sure how he felt about going back, but he knew that she'd never mend if she didn't have the support of the family, and he had to give that to her. Felt like he owed it to her.

The tent behind him began to rustle, and he peeked back to see Mac climbing out of it. He walked to the edge of the woods, relieved himself, and then walked back to where Daryl was shoving his only spare shirt in a bag.

"What are you doing?," Mac asked suspiciously. Daryl didn't feel like he owed him an explanation. He might've saved Beth, but he didn't much care for the kid.

"Taking off. Beth, too."

"Well, we're going with you."

"I don't give two shits what you do. Just better stay outta my way." Mac didn't say anything, just sauntered off to where the fire was dying, so he could heat a can of beans. Daryl walked over to where Beth slept and nudged her awake.

"Ey sleeping beauty," he said gently. Beth heard his voice in her mind and it rose her. Did he just call her beautiful or was it all apart of her hazy imagination? Wasn't she supposed to be on watch last night? She was surprised he wasn't pissed. "Wake up. We gonna get the band back together."

"Hey. I wasn't sleeping. I was listening."

"Oh were ya now?," Daryl asked, amused, knowing she was trying to cover up for the fact that she had fallen asleep on the job. "From where I was standing, you were out like a light. Snoring and all." Beth smiled.

"See, now I know your lying. I don't snore." No, she didn't snore. But it was fun to tease her, kind of normal. Like they didn't just spend a year apart and go through insane amounts of emotional turmoil.

"Figured you'd want to get a move on. Seems like Dumb and Dumber are coming along for the ride."

"Be nice, Daryl. They're good people." He reached into his bag and produced a can of peaches and can opener.

"Annoying if you ask me."

"You thought I was annoying once, too, remember?"

"Still do, princess," he said with a joking smile. He put the can between them and handed her a fork. They ate quietly for a minute before Beth spoke again.

"You know where we're going?"

"Last I saw them, they were heading back toward Washington. They met this soldier and a scientist. Said they could cure the plague. It's as good a lead as any" Beth smiled, the realization that they would probably, more then likely, find her sister and her family finally setting it.

"Does he really know the cure?" Daryl shrugged.

"I doubt it. But everyone else seemed to buy into it."

Behind them Bill had woken up and was gathering up his tent and supplies, taking bites of stale, dry cereal every few seconds. Beth and Daryl finished their breakfast in silence, thinking out the day ahead of them in advance.

"Are you two going to sit there and flirt all day or can we get a move on?," Bill called out from where the remains of the fire smoldered.

"Don't git yer knickers in a twist, Old Man," Daryl replied, trying to hide the fact that Bills comment made him blush a little. "Ready blondie?," Daryl asked as he stood up and offered down his hand to her.

"Hell yes," she replied, taking his hand and standing up. "Let's go find my sister."


	6. Surprise

They'd walked for a little over an hour before they reached a dirt road, looking for a street sign so that they could pin point exactly where they were on the map that Bill and Mac had. Calculating carefully, Daryl folded the map and shoved it in his back pocket.

"That's mine," Bill said reaching out for it. Daryl shot him a look that had Bill lowering his hand and dropping the subject. Daryls eyes turned to Beth.

"Gonna be about a 3 day walk back to the main road, a lot less if we can find a car. I jus' don't see that happenin' though." Beth shrugged, three days not seeming like that much in the scheme of things.

"Haven't seen many walkers lately," she said softly. They had only seen one during the hour walk, and none at all the two days before that. It was a nice reprieve from the craziness that usually surrounded them, but Beth knew that they couldn't stay lucky for long. The dead seemed to be traveling mostly in herds these days. She knew if they came across one of them, it'd be almost impossible for them to get out with just the four of them.

"We'll stick to the trees, but not too far from the road so we can follow." Daryl said as he took a drink of water from the bottle in his bag. He held the bottle out to Beth, who reluctantly took it and sipped before they continued to walk on.

Conversation between the four of them was seriously lacking. Bill was walking up a ways ahead of them, avoiding the awkwardness all together. Mac must've noticed it, too, because he let himself fall in stride beside Beth.

"You excited to find your family?," he asked, just trying to make small talk.

"Course' I am," she said, offering him a small smile. Daryl heard some rustling in the trees and eyed the two of them, wondering if he should chase the noise. It could be some small animal, something they could eat later on that night. If he didn't check, he'd be kicking himself later when their stomachs were growling.

"I heard a noise out there," he said gruffly. "Gonna check it out. Keep walkin'. I'll catch up," he said, taking off into the trees before anyone could respond. Beth didn't like the idea of him being out of her sight, fearful of losing the only comfort she had left in the world, but knew that nothing she said or did would stop Daryl once he made his mind up. So she just shrugged her shoulders and continued on.

"What's the deal with you two?," Mac asked cautiously. Beth looked over at him briefly as she stepped over a fallen branch.

"What you mean?," Beth asked, only half listening. Her mind was playing out scenarios in her head where Daryl couldn't make it back to them. She always seemed to be thinking the worst, these days. The blind hope she once had faded months ago, around the twentieth time Jasper and Scooter had their way with her.

"I mean the man either looks at you like he's afraid you're not really there or as if you're the sun and the moon . The other half of the time he avoids looking at you all together." Beth shrugged her shoulders. Mac was silent a moment, seemingly thinking this next statement through. "Before you got split up, did the two you of have a thing?" Beth looked up at him and laughed briefly, humorlessly.

"We were just friends, is all," she said plainly, the idea that Daryl could have a _thing_ with anyone especially amusing to her. It was hard enough to get the man to speak, let alone form some kind of romantic relationship. She knew he cared about her. He cared about all of them. He felt like he had to protect her, always did. They were friends.

Beth guessed there were moments, though, that she thought maybe his feelings _did_ escalate beyond that. She'd look up and catch him staring, only to quickly look away when her eyes met his. Or, he'd tell her a story she knew he'd told no one else, or he'd let her see a vulnerable side to him that she knew he would be too embarrassed to show other people they called friends.

She questioned those things while they spent all that time alone together, before she was taken. She remembered sitting at the table with him at the funeral home, before the craziness started, and him telling her that they could make it a home. Their home. Just the two of them. She thought maybe it meant something. But she would quickly shake those thoughts aside and tell herself she was being a silly girl with a crush. And that was probably what Daryl thought she was; a silly girl.

"He know that?," Mac asked breaking her thoughts.

"Know what?"

"That you guys are just friends?" She didn't respond to him, just brushed the question off as they continued walking.

"Did you have someone back in your group?," he asked trying to keep the momentum going. Mac liked talking to her. She was a great listener, and she was sweet. Pretty. Didn't say many pretty girls his age these days.

"I had my family. Plenty of someones," she said with a wry smile. He playfully bumped her shoulder with his.

"You know what I mean." Beth smiled.

"No one like that," she said softly.

"Good to know," he said smiling down at her. Beth looked up at him, catching on to the subtle hint of flirtation in his voice. She didn't know how to respond, so she didn't. She just kept walking. Mac gave up trying to talk to her, but he'd look at her from time to time, keeping a steady rhythm next to her.

Beth heard a rustling in the trees to her right. She turned her head and searched out Daryl. She took a step closer in that direction, and jumped back quickly. It wasn't Daryl at all.

Jasper stood in front of her, holding Bill by the back of the neck with one hand, a knife to his throat in the other. Jaspers face was covered in blood, and his left ear was missing completely.

"Surprise," he slurred as he smiled at a bewildered Beth and Mac, right before he plunged the knife into Bills throat.


	7. Snap

"No!," Beth screamed loudly, bringing her hands up to her face in horror. Mac stepped back, shocked, his eyes wide. Jasper smiled at them wickedly and dropped Bill onto the ground with a thud. He held the knife out, still dripping with Bills blood, and pointed it at the two of them. Beth took a step back, standing next to Mac, both of them too stunned to run. Jasper reached out toward Mac with the knife, so fast that neither of them saw it coming. He slit his throat with one clean movement, Mac reaching up and clutching it quickly while the blood poured through his fingers.

"You killed my brother," he said angrily, coming toward Beth now. "I'm going to fuck you and then I'm going to let him eat you," he said gesturing toward Macs struggling body on the ground. She glanced at him quickly and turned to run. She thought about calling for Daryl, but she couldn't bring herself to put him in danger. If today was her day to die, then she would die. She only ran a few feet before she tripped over a fallen branch. Jasper reached out and grabbed her by the pony tail, dragging her back toward Macs now lifeless body. He hit her once with a closed fist, right across the cheek. Beth dropped to the ground and he loomed over her. Jasper held the bloody knife in his teeth while he reached down and hastily unbuckled his belt.

Beth kicked out, trying to get him away from her. He was just too big, and before she knew it, he had her pinned underneath him. Taking his knife, he sliced her shirt from the hem up, exposing her breasts. He tugged on her jeans, and Beth closed her eyes, knowing what was coming.

Suddenly, the entire weight of him came crashing down on her, knocking the air out of her. Then as fast as it hit her, the weight was lifted, and Daryl stood over her, panting heavily, the immense anger he felt radiating through him. Beth just lay there, still in shock, most of her body exposed to him and shaking. Daryl frowned, not knowing what to say, as he shrugged off his leather fast and placed it over her naked body.

He heard her scream, but he didn't make it fast enough. Once again, he'd let her get hurt. God as his witness, he was never going to let her out of his sight again. He took pleasure in killing the bastard, would've cut his dick off first if Beth wasn't already in danger.

He was taken aback by the vision of Beth laying there, eyes closed in fear, her body exposed and vulnerable, her hands held up trying to protect her face that was already red and bruising. She opened her eyes and saw him, but it was almost as if she was looking through him. She made no effort to hide her body, no effort to get up, just lay there staring, silent tears running down her cheeks.

Daryl placed his vest over her quickly, not letting his eyes linger too long on her bare skin, knowing it wasn't right to look.

"Beth," he whispered, touching her shoulder gently. "Beth, you okay?," he asked, trying and failing to get a response from her. "Beth, I'm sorry. Shoulda been there." Still nothing. "Beth!," he exclaimed.

She didn't answer, didn't really do anything. Daryl looked around, unsure of what to do next. He yanked his arrow from the back of Jaspers skull and shoved it in his bag. Looking at Mac, he knew that if he didn't take care of it, Mac would turn. And it wasn't right to let him become one of those things. Quickly and efficiently, he drew his knife and shoved it through the side of Macs head. He turned back toward Beth, who was looking at him, but still not making any attempt to move, or speak.

"Beth," he said sadly, softly. "Don't know what I'm spose' to do here." He looked at the bodies of Mac and Bill, and wished he had the tools to bury them. "Beth, I need you to snap outta it. We gotta move." Still nothing. On an exasperated sigh he bent down and swooped her up into his arms, beginning to walk toward the nearest town to find her shelter.


	8. Cabins and Poptarts

Daryl carried her for a little over an hour. His back ached and his arms were dog tired, but he didn't know what else to do. She still didn't speak, didn't move. It was pure luck that he came across a small cabin, nestled behind a clutter of trees. He wasn't sure if the cabin was clear from walkers, or if there were people who already claimed it as their own. So he sat down carefully, keeping Beth tight in his grasp and then in his lap, as he watched the house for the remainder of the day.

The sun was setting, and she still hadn't made an effort to communicate with him. He had seen no one go to the house, lift a curtain in the window, nothing. Figured it was probably as safe as safe could be in this world. A whole lot safer then spending his night clinging to Beth in a forest with no shelter or cover at all.

He kicked the door first with his boots, and then put an ear up to it, seeing if he could hear anything moving around inside. When he was almost completely positive the coast was clear, he opened the door. It was a small cottage, a combined kitchen, bedroom and living room and a small bathroom. Looking around, he knew they were definitely alone.

Daryl set Beth on the bed gently. He lifted her slightly so that he could pull the blanket down that was underneath her. He shook it out, watching the dust particles catch the light through the tattered curtains in the windows, and then lay it on top of her, mostly over his vest, but leaving enough of the leather out that he could remove it from her without _seeing_ her.

He walked to the cabinets in the kitchen and opened them quickly, hoping that there was something, anything, in there for them to eat. He found a pack of pop tarts, a half eaten box of stale cereal, and 4 cans of mixed vegetables. That was it. And that wouldn't be enough for long.

"Found some pop tarts," he called to Beth, even though he was sure she wouldn't answer. "Gonna save em for when you feel better. Looks like strawberry." He sighed to himself, and blocked the one and only door to the cabin with a heavy wooden hutch, before pulling a recliner up next to the bed and sitting in it.

"Ya can't do this shit to me, girl. I need ya," he said softly. "Can't shut down on me." Beth blinked, looking at him, and he watched another silent tear fall. "You was right. I missed ya. I missed ya more then I ever thought I would. And now you're right here and I can't miss ya no more. Gotta snap out of it." It was a lot for him to say at once, a lot for him to admit, and knew that ordinarily Beth would've noticed that and said something that made him turn bright red with embarrassment. But she said nothing.

He reached out to take her hand, but hesitated before pulling his hand back and biting his thumb nail. Instead, he turned sideways in the chair and just watched her silently, until he fell into a restless sleep.


	9. Waking Up

Daryl opened his eyes some time later, automatically looking at the bed next to him. He jumped up when he noticed Beth wasn't there, his eyes scanning the room and quickly landing on her. She sat on the small dining table, her knees brought up to her chin, and the blanket wrapped around her chest. The curtains were pulled back, and her gaze was focused on the outside. She looked almost ethereal, the early more sun beams shining through the windows and illuminating her small frame.

Daryl was in awe for a moment just staring at her. Beth must've heard him jump up, but she made no effort to turn toward him. Her hair fell down her bare shoulders in golden waves, and he had the strangest urge to reach out and run his fingers through it. He walked up to her slowly, his boots clunking against the wooden floor.

Beth still made no attempt to turn toward him, so he stood behind her. "Beth," he said softly. She tilted her head back at him, finally acknowledging that he was there. Daryl noticed the bruise around her eye from where Jasper had struck her. It wasn't easy, but he contained his initial response to seeing her hurt, anger. Instead, he reached out slowly, and indulged himself by lightly touching her shoulders, and with them the hair that lay there.

Beth jumped a little, initially shocked by his touch. Daryl pulled his hands back quickly, embarrassed, but Beth just sighed and leaned back, her back pressed against his stomach.

It was Daryl's turn to be surprised. He wasn't sure what he should do, so he just set his hands on her shoulders again. Beth reached up and grabbed his hands in her own, pulling him closer to her. She wrapped his arms around her chest, right below her neck but above her breasts, and snuggled her face into his arms. Daryl's breath caught in his throat and his arms stiffened around her uncomfortably.

"Ya okay, Beth?," he asked huskily, trying not to let their embrace effect him as much as it was. He felt her nod against his arms.

"Just wanna stay like this awhile," she said softly, her voice sounding almost melodic after the fear he felt about her shutting down earlier. Daryl felt his arms relax as he nodded, knowing that he'd stand there holding her as long as she'd let him.

It was Daryl's voice telling her that he needed her. That's what finally shook Beth free from her inner struggling. She couldn't abandon him, couldn't let him miss her anymore. It just wasn't fair of her. Beth had been through a lot over the last year, but it was no excuse to make him suffer. As much as she wanted to give up, she couldn't as long as Daryl was there. He had been so tired, so she waited until he had fallen asleep to get up. She settled herself on the table and pulled back the curtains, wanting to feel the warmth from the sun on her skin.

She couldn't help herself when he came and stood behind her. His touch had shocked her, but she had felt it. Beth felt his hands on her which was more exhilarating then she ever thought it could be. She couldn't help pulling him closer to her, couldn't help wrapping his arms around her.

"Ya' okay, Beth?," he asked gruffly but sincerely. She could tell he was uncomfortable being so close to her. He hadn't technically touched her since the first time they saw each other and she needed it. She nodded against his arms, burying her head into the protection they offered her, never wanting him to let her go. The only time she had felt safe in the last few years was when Daryl was there. She swore to herself now that she'd never leave his line of sight again.

"Just wanna stay like this awhile," she answered him. She felt him relax and squeezed his arms, burying her head deeper into them and into the comfort they offered. They held eachother in silence for a bit, and eventually Daryl's thumbs began to mechanically stroke her shoulders and his chin had come to rest on the top of her head.

"Should probably git some food in ya," he said eventually, hating to be the rational one but knowing that she needed to get her strength up. He pulled his arms away from her, and Beth immediately tensed, feeling naked without him there against her. Daryl walked over to the counter and grabbed the shiny pack of pop tarts and the bag of cereal. She reached out and took the pop tarts he offered her and he sat in the chair at the table she was still perched on.

"We can head out soon as yer feelin' better. Find the others." Beth nodded and ate in silence, still looking out the window. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, feeling guilty for leaving her alone with Mac and Bill on the trail. If he had been there, maybe he could've saved them, stopped Beth from getting hurt again. "If I was there…"

"You wouldn'ta been able to stop him," she said quietly, turning toward him. "If you were there, you wouldn'ta snuck up on him, and we'd probably all be dead." He knew she was right. But looking into her face, seeing it bruised and her eyes haunted by all she'd been through, he couldn't help but tell himself he could've done more, could've prevented her from facing any more hurt. He reached out toward her face, his fingers gently scaling the bruises. She closed her eyes and rested her cheek against his palm. She turned her body toward him, her torso still covered in the blanket, her jean covered legs now on either side of him.

Daryl pulled his hand away slowly and stood up, so that he was standing in between her legs. "You hurt anywhere else?," he asked scanning over her face. Beth nodded and Daryl looked over her more closely. "Well spit it out, girl. Where you hurtin'?," he asked with slight impatience.

She didn't know what she was doing to him. Being that close to her, in between her legs, was making him think some very inappropriate thoughts. Definitely didn't help matters that she was shirtless, and when she reached down and gently grabbed his hand, bringing it up to her heart and holding it against her chest, he didn't know how to respond. He looked down to where her their hands met against her chest and cleared his throat, trying to think about anything other then how it would feel to run his hands over all of her.

Beth did hurt. Her heart hurt, and the only time she felt any reprieve from that was when Daryl was touching her. She didn't think about anything else when she grabbed his hand and brought it to her heart. Just knew that she wanted him to touch her in some way. She wanted to tell him how much it helped, his just being there, but the words wouldn't come.

Daryl stretched his palm against her chest, feeling the steady but somewhat hurried beat of her heart. Her hand over his, he tested the waters and began to curl his fingers gently against her skin. He could feel her pulse quicken, and he took comfort in the fact that their closeness effected her, too.

"Don' know how to help ya," he said softly, bringing his eyes back to hers. Beth tilted her head back and reached up with her other hand. She clutched the front of his tank top and pulled him close to her. Daryl stumbled a little, taken aback by her swift reaction, and he caught himself on the table with the one hand that wasn't already holding hers.

Beth didn't know what had come over her. She craved comfort, craved the touch of him, and he didn't seem to be pulling away. Maybe he didn't think of her as a child after all. Maybe he'd always seen her the same way that she saw him, as something more then just a friend she was forced into having. She waited for him to make a move, willed him to with her eyes. She saw him take a deep breath.

Daryl wasn't sure what to do. How to respond. He had always thought Beth was beautiful, always thought that she was the be all, end all, of anything amazing left in this world.

His heart hurt, too. Each day that they weren't together over the last year, his heart hurt. But he never thought that she saw him as anything more then a guardian, as someone else to protect her. But here she was, practically begging him with her eyes to kiss her, and he didn't know how to react.

Daryl felt that kissing her would provide them both temporary relief to the sorrows they both faced in this new hellish life they lived. But what would happen after? It would change the whole dynamic of their relationship, and Daryl didn't know if he would be able to handle that. Could he handle getting closer to her? The idea of something happening to her now was almost unbearable. How could he open himself up to her when there was always a possibility of losing her.

Beth bit her bottom lip, sliding her hands up his chest and to his neck, letting his other hand rest alone at her heart, feeling the quick patters beneath his fingers. Daryl's body was having a reaction to her and she could feel it pressing against her center where her legs were around him. He wanted her. But he wouldn't make the move.

"S'okay," she said softly. "I want you to." Daryl looked at her lips and brought his face closer, almost closing the gap between them. But out of the corner of his eye, he could see them coming through the woods. Daryl jumped back quickly, torn between being angry that they were interrupted and happy that Beth would finally see her family again, a whole lot sooner then they had expected.


	10. Reunions

"What's wrong?," Beth asked as Daryl pulled back. He grinned at her and felt himself relax, relieved that nothing had happened between them. Because there, coming through the trees, was their family. Maggie, Glenn, Rick, Carl, Michonne, and baby Judith. Daryl stepped further away from the window, and nodded his head toward it. Beth turned her eyes slowly, expecting to see a herd coming there way. Instead, her eyes landed on Maggie, who hadn't noticed them in the window yet and was talking animatedly to Glenn. "Maggie…" she breathed heavily, clamoring from the table, gripping the blanket around her. She stumbled quickly toward the door, tripping on the trailing blanket but catching her balance quickly before pushing the hutch out of the way just enough to get the door open.

"Maggie!," she screamed. Daryl watched through the window as Maggies eyes landed on Beth. She brought her hands up to her mouth, eyes wide and already full of tears, as they ran toward each other, meeting half way and embracing on impact.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Beth couldn't believe it. Maggie and Glenn. The others. Her family. After all this time, she had finally found them. Her arms wrapped tightly around Maggie. It was Maggie who broke the hold first and held Beth out at arms length.

"Let me get a good look at ya," she see smiling through her tears. She sniffled and scanned Beth from head to toe.

"Where's your shirt?" Beths eyes lowered.

"Got ripped up."

"You're eye," she continued frowning. Her eyes widened when she noticed the marks around her wrists where she was chained. "Oh, Beth," she said crying more and running her fingers gently over the lacerations on her wrists. "I'm so sorry."

Daryl stepped into the doorway then, and Maggies eyes looked to him, almost accusingly. Beth followed her gaze.

"No, Maggie. He found me." she smiled at Daryl, who was nodding now toward the others and beckoning them inside. "He saved me." Maggie's shoulders relaxed. Everyone walked past the two of them, saying quick hi's. They were all very excited to see her but they could also tell she had been through a lot, and they didn't want to overwhelm her.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Why ain't you all headin' toward Washington?," Daryl said leaning back against the counter. Carl had spread himself across the bed with little ass kicker, who got bigger every time Daryl saw her. She was walking now, and kept looking at Daryl skeptically, probably wondering how long it would take for him to cave and go over to her. Daryl had two soft spots in the whole world. They were both women and only one of them knew it for sure.

"We got hit by a herd. Couldn't get passed them safely, so we had to detour," Rick confirmed, standing behind Michonne where she sat at the table. Daryl noticed Ricks hands at the top of the chair, and wondered if they realized they were crazy about each other yet.

"Maybe we could've if you would've been there to help," Michonne said gruffly, still holding onto a little bit of the resentment she felt after he took off on them.

"It's a good thing he did," Glenn piped in. "He found Beth, guys. She's out there with Maggie now," he said sarcastically, as if they hadn't all just seen her. "We all thought she was dead."

"But not you," Rick said smiling, recalling a conversation they had right before Daryl left them. Daryl shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

"Where was she?," Carl asked softly as he helped Judith climb off of the bed.

"Found her with these two men who saved her from some other men."

"Where are they now?," Glenn asked as he shoved his hands in his pocket and leaned against the wall behind him.

"One of the scum bags wasn't as dead as they thought and come back for revenge. Killed em' both while the girl watched. Didn't make it back fast nuf'." Judith stood at Daryls feet then and he smiled down at her softly. She reached her little hands up and Daryl scooped her up in his arms.

"Just glad you made it back," Rick said, trying to pull some of the guilt off of Daryl. Rick could feel it in him. Daryl knew it, too. Rick was his brother, after all. Figured they'd talk more when the others weren't around to listen.

"Where's G.I Joe and Mullet man?," Daryl asked, ignoring the little hands that kept tugging on his hair gently.

"They took another route. Went on to Washington without us," Michonne said leaning back onto Ricks hands. Daryl could see Ricks thumb gently rubbing on her shoulder and grinned to himself. They would definitely talk about _that_ later.

"Why didn't ya'll continue on, too? Go around the herd?," he asked as he set Judith back on the floor.

"Too risky with the winter months comin'," Rick explained. "We had a difference of opinion and they didn't want to wait, so they didn't. Made their choice."

"Guess so," Daryl answered as Judith pulled on his jeans again.

"She missed ya," Rick said smiling down at his daughter.

"Yeah," Daryl said reaching down and picking her up again. "Missed ya, too, lil' ass kicker."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Maggie had given Beth her over shirt to wear. Beth let the blanket drop to the ground and buttoned up the shirt quickly. They sat on the stairs on the rickety wooden porch and intertwined their arms, holding hands.

"I missed ya so much, Maggie," she said smiling at her. Maggie closed her eyes and squeezed her hand.

"When we found Daryl, and he had told us…," she broke off, fresh sobs shaking her body. "I was so mad at him, Beth. I blamed him for what happened to you and I know he could feel it, but I didn't care. Jus' hurt so much, losing you like that." Beth looked down at her hands. "I knew it must've been bad cause' I ain't never seen that man look so defeated before. I thought if he looked like that, then there must've been no chance that you made it. But here ya are," she said smiling. Beth smiled softly, but didn't say anything, just cuddled close to her sister, thinking about what she had said about Daryl, and wondering what it meant in regards to her.

"What happened to you out there, Beth? Ya look like you, but ya look different, too." Beth didn't say anything, just kept her eyes lowered to where her hands met Maggies. "Did they…" Maggie couldn't bring herself to say the words. The thought of just about broke her heart into a million little pieces.

"Maggie, none of that matters now. I'm fine. I'm here. You're here," Beth said putting on a brave face. "And we're just going to move on from all of that." Maggie knew she needed to talk it through, but she wasn't going to push her. She couldn't. She just had to be thankful that she had found her, and that they were both still alive.


	11. Damned Annoying Greene Girls

Daryl had taken the first watch. Gladly. It had become way too cramped in the small cabin, and he needed some space and air to breathe. But it seemed as if people just kept coming out to pester him. Man couldn't get a few seconds of silence to save his life. Maggie was the first, coming out with a can of warm soup. He looked up at her, took the can and mumbled a brief thanks, hoping she'd go back inside. Instead, she sat next to him on the stairs.

"I haven't thanked ya yet, Daryl," she said softly. He shrugged his shoulders and ate his soup, feeling awkward and for some reason, a little angry. "I overheard you that night before ya left, talking to Rick. I thought it was bullshit." He looked over at her. "I thought…," she continued softly. "I thought that you were using Beth as an excuse to bail out. But you found her, and I don't think I've ever been more grateful to someone in my entire life. So thank you."

Daryl wasn't sure what he was supposed to say. She had partially been right. Beth was a bit of an excuse he had given Rick to be able to get away from the group, without feeling the guilt of it. But he'd be damned if he ever admitted it. Of course Beth was always on his mind, which he would also never admit, but more often then not he thought she was dead, too. If it weren't for that little piece of paper, those 11 words, he would've probably still thought the same. So instead of saying anything, he just nodded. Maggie smiled at him and leaned over, kissing his cheek. Daryl stiffened.

"We done here?," he asked, probably gruffer then he had intended. Maggie just laughed and stood up.

"Yeah. We're done here." She walked back into the house and Daryl shook his head behind her. _Always so damn annoying, those Greene girls_, he thought affectionately. He finished his soup shortly after she left. He set the empty can down and stood up, deciding to do a quick perimeter check.

He was leaning against the back of the cabin, one of his last cigarettes clutched in his hand. All was clear, not a walker in sight, and Daryl figured if he was back here, maybe he wouldn't be bothered. But he was wrong.

"Figured you were hidin'," Rick said as he crossed over to him. Daryl nodded, glad that it was Rick and not any of the others.

"Quiet back here," he said smiling at him.

"I'm real glad ya found her, Daryl," Rick said standing next to Daryl, and leaning back against the cabin, too. He picked a foot up and set it against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. "I knew you would." Daryl looked over at him.

"I didn't," he said honestly. "I was lucky, that's all."

"More then luck, I think. I think you were spose'ta find her, so ya did."

"Guess I did," Daryl said smiling at his friend. "Nuf' about that now. Michonne? What the hell is goin' on there?" Rick blushed and turned his head trying to hide it. Daryl laughed and nudged his arm with his elbow. "Ain't like you didn't think I'd notice and say something."

"Don't seem you say much to anyone cept' me," Rick said laughing. Daryl gave him a look that told him to spit it out already. "We're just friends," he said softly. "But I don't know. Maybe it could be something more. We're just comfortable together, you know? It's easy to talk to her, and it's easy to be with her and not say nothing at all." Daryl nodded, thinking that sounded way too familiar. "You and Beth?," he inquired. Daryl raised an eyebrow at him.

"What bout' me and Beth?"

"Anything happening there?" Daryl laughed,

"Hell no," he answered, probably too quickly. "I'm old nuf' to be her daddy."

"I seen the way you look at her when no one else is watchin'. The same rules don't apply anymore, Daryl. If you like her, or you _love_ her," Rick said quietly, thinking of how Daryl risked everything to try and find her and save her. "then you should tell her. We're not living in a world where tomorrow is promised."

"Ain't like that," Daryl said, uncomfortable with the turn in conversation. Rick shrugged.

"If you say so." They stood in silence for a few minutes, each lost in their own train of thoughts. "I should go make sure the kids are sleepin' and get a few hours in myself. Wake me up in a bit to switch shifts." Daryl nodded and Rick walked back around the side of the cabin.

Daryl had been back on the front steps for a few hours. It was pretty late now, and he knew the rest of the group was soundly sleeping inside. He had gone in briefly, ready to switch shifts, but he couldn't bring himself to wake any of them. His eyes had fallen on Beth, who appeared to be sleeping and cuddling next to little ass-kicker. He smiled briefly, glad that they had each other again, and walked quietly from the cabin.

He sat against the wall on the porch, trying to not feel the cold that was creeping into the night. A few minutes later, he heard the door close softly. He looked up, surprised to see Beth walking toward him.

"Hey," she said softly, wrapping a thin sheet around her shivering body and sitting next to him. "I can take over the watch if ya want. You can get some sleep." Daryl shook his head.

"You need your rest, Beth."

"So do you," she countered softly. A cold breeze whipped around them, and Daryl shivered, his arms bare in the cold. Beth took the sheet from around her and spread it across the front of both of them as they sat together. "Couldn't sleep much anyway." He didn't say anything, just continued to look at her from beneath his bangs, biting on his thumb nail.

It wasn't easy sitting so close to her and not feeling anything. Two days ago, he had been alone. He still didn't quite believe that he had found her, and now he was sitting here sharing a blanket with her, and the rest of their group was snuggled tightly in the house.

"Daryl, about what almost happened earlier…"

"Don't…" Daryl warned. "Nothing almost happened, got it?" Beth sighed deeply and nodded. "Go back to sleep, Beth." She shook her head.

"I just wanna sit here with you awhile, okay?," she said softly. "I feel…safe." How could Daryl say no to that? So he just nodded. Beth took his hand under the blanket and lifted it over her head, so that she was resting under his arm. He stiffened and tried to pull his arm away, but she was insistant. "Would you just cut it out," she said sternly, staring up at him. "I'm cold, okay?" Daryl released a heavy sigh, and let his arm rest on her shoulders. She smiled and snuggled under him, resting her head in the nook between his arm and chest. "Better." she said simply.

Daryl could feel her breathing even out and knew she had fallen asleep on him. And she had been right. It was better. But he wouldn't admit that either.


	12. New Towns

"There's a town only a few miles up the road," Daryl said as the rest of them gathered around the table early next morning to discuss what they should do next. He had Bills map spread out on the table in front of him, pointing to the little dot.

"We could probably find a bigger place," Glenn put in, thinking about the prospect of alone time with his wife.

"Probably," Beth said softly. "But it wouldn't be anywhere near as safe as here." Glenn hung his head, knowing she was right, but hating it all the same.

"But we can go here to gather some things we will need to get through the winter. Blankets. Medicine. Hopefully food. Maybe we can even find a car that runs, just in case we need to make a quick getaway for whatever reason," Michonne said as she polished her katana with a rag she had found in one of the cabinet drawers.

"So who's gonna go then?," Maggie asked, wondering if anyone else could hear how loud her stomach was growling. Then again, the sound was so familiar to them all these days that she supposed it didn't really matter. "Someone's got to stay with Carl and Judith," she said, automatically turning to look at Beth.

Beth looked to Daryl quickly, and he could see the hesitation in her eyes, the same as was probably in his own. The last few times they had separated, things hadn't gone so well for either of them. Beth knew she would just go crazy sitting in that cabin worrying about him, about _all_ of them, and she couldn't do it. Daryl nodded to her, almost like giving her permission, and she turned her eyes back toward the group and shook her head slowly.

"I'm going," she said simply.

"But Beth…," Maggie said, reaching for her hand. "I really wish you would just rest up. Keep an eye on things here." Beth smiled softly at her sister and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm going," she said again, and Maggie sighed in defeat.

"No one needs to stay with us," Carl said, surprising them all. They had thought for sure he was still sleeping with little Judith. "You all know damn well that I can handle things here with out you. Judy and I will be just fine. Shouldn't be longer then a day right?"

"Absolutely not," Rick said, shaking his head.

"You should stay, Rick," Michonne said softly. "That way if, God forbid, something happens, the kids will still have their father." Rick looked to Carl, who raised an eyebrow, not thinking he would ever actually agree to stay…

"Maybe I should," he answered as Judith opened her eyes on the bed and stretched her arms out with a yawn.

"So it's settled," Daryl said as he scratched his chin. "Let's get a move on then. Losin' daylight."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Michonne led the group through the narrow path. They had decided that they would take the woods as far as they could, instead of walking out in plain sight for the world and the walkers to view.

Glenn and Maggie were walking behind her, whispering about something that made Maggie giggle every now and then, and stealing a kiss where a kiss could be stolen. The imagery almost made Daryl gag. They should be paying closer attention, instead they were gallivanting like a bunch of love struck teenagers. Damned annoying.

"Thanks for letting me come, Daryl," a soft, sweet voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked down at Beth as she walked beside him.

"I din' let ya do anything. Yer a big girl. Ya can make yer own choices," he said gruffly. She smiled and bumped her shoulder with his.

"You know what I mean. Thanks for not telling me that I shouldn't come. Thanks for not trying to 'protect me'," she said rolling her eyes, and using air quotes. Daryl stopped in his tracks and she stopped quickly beside him, turning her eyes up to him questioningly.

"Yer wrong, Beth," he said seriously. "I was trying to protect ya. That's why I wanted ya with me." His eyes bore into hers, and she felt the breath catch in her throat.

"Oh," was all she could muster. He grinned slightly and then continued to walk, knowing she would follow. And she did, after a few seconds of staring at the spot where he had been standing. She jogged up to his side and bumped his shoulder again, causing him to look down at her.

Then, Beth smiled up at him and Daryl thought his heart might melt. Didn't help the melting heart matters when she reached down and inconspicuously linked his fingers with hers.


	13. The Rich and Prepared

Once they arrived at the little, once gated community they decided to split up. Daryl was surprised when Beth refused to let go of his hand, and he could tell that it was a little surprising to everyone else, too. Thankfully, no one said anything in regards to it, because Daryl was pretty sure if he turned any redder that his face would just explode.

"I'm going with Daryl," Beth exclaimed, not even giving anyone else the option of suggesting something different.

"I think I'm gonna take some _me_ time," Michonne added, enunciating the word 'me' for emphasis. She was tired of all the googley eyes floating between the four of them, the last thing she needed was to be the third wheel in someones group. She'd much rather go at it solo.

"You shouldn't be alone, Michonne," Maggie intercepted gently. Michonne smiled and pulled her katana out from behind her back.

"I'm not," she said with a wink.

"We'll meet back here at sundown, find somewhere to crash for the night and head back in the morning," Glenn said to them all, receiving nods in response, and looking forward to some alone time with Maggie. "If you come across something you can't handle alone," he said looking over to Michonne, "fire a round and we all come running, understood?," he asked. They nodded, sorted out who would be looking where, and separated.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Daryl knocked on the door to the first house on his and Beths route, a large two story mansion that this neighborhood had once been known for. Sure, the sub division had smaller, more intimate homes as well, but this definitely wasn't one of them. They waited, listening for rustling inside and heard nothing. He jiggled the door handle, finding it locked and lowered himself to work on it. After a few minutes, he swung the door open slowly. He held up a finger to Beth and walked in first, holding his arrow out just in case. Beth closed the door behind them gently, her knife clutched in her small hand.

The house was still something amazing, something you'd only see in magazines or movies. Definitely cost someone a whole lot of money once upon a time. The ceilings were incredibly high, dusty chandeliers hanging above them, the light from the slits in the curtains making the crystal shine. Aside from the layers of dust on everything, the house appeared as if it had been untouched since the beginning, which was a good sign for the mission at hand. They walked through two living spaces, a formal dining room, a large eat in kitchen, a library type den, three bathrooms and two bedrooms.

Once the bottom floor was clear, they walked back to the kitchen and threw open the cabinets, almost laughing out loud at the fullness of them. They had hit the jackpot.

Beth smiled over at Daryl, and he returned it eagerly as they weighed down their bags with chips, candy, canned goods, wine, other bottled beverages, and boxed items, searching for bags so that they could take more. There was so much that Daryl wondered how on Earth they were supposed to lug all of this back. Once the cabinets and the pantry were mostly emptied (Beth told him to leave some food behind for whoever stumbled upon the house next) Daryl piled their supplies by the front door. Daryl turned toward Beth where she stood standing in front of the double refrigerator.

"Wouldn't open that if I were you," he said jokingly as he came up to stand close behind her. She grinned back at him.

"I'm not," she said softly. "Just lookin' at the pictures." Daryl looked passed her and toward the doors that held crayon drawings and a picture of a beautiful family of four. The mother had fiery red hair, the teenage son the same. The father had his arm over them, while a toddler with curly blonde hair tugged on her mothers skirt. "What do you think happened to em'?," she asked referring to the family. Daryl just shrugged.

"Probably same thang that happened to e'erone else." Beth frowned and Daryl reached down and gently tugged on her hand. "C'mon. We have other rooms to check upstairs." She nodded and left the kitchen with him, her hand still entwined in his as they cautiously walked toward the stair case. They took one stair at a time, slowly, not wanting to be taken off guard by anyone or any_thing_.

This house was just an amazing find, and they were all incredibly lucky that they were the first ones to enter its doors. If it wasn't obvious that this was a gift from God by the very large collection of food they had acquired, it would've been by the amount of medicine and toiletries they found in the houses total of 6 bathrooms. There were another 4 bedrooms upstairs, too, as well as a media room and another living area, that appeared as if it was once used for a play room.

She was looking through the final bathroom as Daryl searched through the bedroom that accompanied it. She threw all the medicine in another bag, along with some toiletries and a few plush towels and clean sheets. Daryl leaned against the frame of the door and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched her.

Beth could feel his eyes on her and turned toward him, smiling brightly.

"This house is a gold mine, Daryl," she said, almost laughing. Daryl was pretty sure he had never heard a more beautiful sound then Beth Greenes laugh.

"Wasn't much in here," he said evenly, referring to the bedroom. She nodded.

"That doesn't even matter. We're almost done. If any of the other houses are like this one, we will definitely be all set for Winter. Might just take us a few trips to get it all home, is all."

Daryl didn't know what possessed him, and he certainly didn't expect it to work, but he reached over and turned the faucet in the marble sink to C. Beths eyes popped when the water began to flow, first a deep brown dirty and then a crystal clear vision of perfection.

"Holy shit," Daryl said. Beth laughed and scrambled over to the shower, leaning in turning on the faucet there. The water cascaded down, running through her fingers.

"It's warm," Beth laughed. "It's warm, Daryl. Feel it," she said reaching out and pulling him toward the shower. He reached in, the warm water running over his hand. Beth pulled the lever and the shower sprung to life. She stood up quickly and lifted the shirt over her head.

"What in the hell ya doin', girl?," Daryl asked as his eyes took in her full, naked breast. Beth just rolled her eyes as she unfastened her jeans and let them fall around her ankles.

"Ain't nothing you haven't seen, Daryl," she said to him as his cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "I'm gonna take a warm shower. Yer welcome to join me if you'd like," she said with a wink, knowing he'd never be so bold. He raised his eyebrow and mumbled something before turning around and leaving the bathroom.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Daryl walked out of the bathroom and down the hall into the play room. He figured that he could grab ass kicker a toy or two, something to make her smile. He was looking around for something she might like, something with lights maybe but no sound. He couldn't believe that Beth had been so bold with him, although he supposed she had been right. He had seen all of her. Even if it wasn't on purpose, it counted. His eyes scanned the bookshelves that stacked either side of a plasma tv.

Daryl thought maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him, but a light in the bottom corner of the television caught his eye. He took a step closer, looking at the tv from a different angel, but the small blue light was still there. He reached out and touched the power button, his breath catching in his throat at the sight before him. Not only was there power, which was incredible, but apparently the entire house had been equipped with hidden security cameras. Twenty small sections on the screen, depicting different rooms, hallways and areas, as well as full views of the front and back yards.

Daryl looked around, finding the rooms light switch and flipping it on, in awe as the lights flickered twice before illuminating the room completely. How was this possible? Where was the source of the power? He turned the tv and the light off before walking back down the hallway, grinning as he heard Beth singing in the shower.

"Ey, Beth," he called out.

"Yeah?," she answered, her voice muddled through the sound of water hitting the tile of the shower stall.

"I'm gon' head downstairs."

"Okay," she called out.

Daryl climbed down the stairs, running his hands along the walls, looking for something out of place, a hidden room maybe. They had been through every inch of that house, and he knew there had to be a place that they were keeping a generator, camera controls or something that explained why this house was still in running condition. He found himself in the downstairs den, and he suddenly thought about all of those stupid horror movies he watched with Merle as a kid. He started pulling on books, throwing them into a pile on the ground. That's where Beth found him a few minutes later.

He turned toward the sound of her coming into the room, and she raised an eye at him quizzically as she towel dried her hair. Daryls eyes took her in. She was normally a beautiful mess, but right now she was just beautiful. She had changed into a clean, black tank top, straps from a recently acquired bra peaking through the sides. And the jeans she wore hugged her hips and fit her like a second skin, like they were made just for her. Daryl licked his lips and he caught sight of Beth blushing under his gaze.

"Daryl? What in the hell are you doin?," she asked as she put her hands on her hips. Daryl snapped back to reality and continued the task at hand, throwing books into the pile.

"Jus' lookin' for something," he answered.

"Like what? You think you're gonna find a secret passage way or something?," she said wiggling her fingers in the air. Daryl looked at her quickly, confirming what she said and Beth laughed. "Seriously? I was just kiddin', Daryl. It's not like you're just gonna pull on a book and the walls going to open up to treasures untold," she said walking up to the shelf and picking up a book to demonstrate her point. She pulled the book from the shelf, and just like that the shelf shook, causing both her and Daryl to step back. Slowly, the shelf disappeared into the wall, revealing a dark, empty room, and a single set of stairs, leading down.


	14. More then that

Beth looked toward Daryl, the shock on her face evident. She definitely didn't expect that to happen. She was teasing him, she didn't expect the whole damn wall to open up like that. Daryl took a step forward, reaching his hand into the darkness, searching the walls until he found a light switch. He flicked the switch and the staircase was completely visible to them, and no longer just a shadow.

"There's electricity, too?," Beth asked as she peered down the staircase. Daryl didn't answer, just held out his bow and took a tentative step down. Beth reached out and touched his shoulder. He turned back to look at her.

"What are you doin'?," she asked, a little nervous about just walking into a hidden room, and going down a set of stairs that were obviously hidden for a reason.

"What the hell does it look like I'm doin'?," he asked. "I'm gonna go see what's down there." Beth took a deep breath and nodded, trying to control the nagging nerves that tumbled around in her stomach. She dropped her hand from his shoulder and slowly followed him down, clutching her small knife in her hand.

At the end of the staircase, they found another door. Immediately, they noticed that it was locked by what appeared to be an electronic keypad, kind of like the ones they had in hotels.

"I saw a bunch of keycards in the master bedroom in the top drawer of a dresser. I'll run and get em'," Beth said as she ran back up the stairs, and then up another flight toward the master bedroom. Something behind that door was worth protecting and she couldn't wait to see what it was. There was a reason it was hidden so well. A million different scenerios played in her head, but she forced herself to think of the positive ones as she ran toward answers.

Beth tripped slightly over her feet as she ran back into the den, at least 25 blank key cards gripped tightly in her hand. She cursed a little, composed herself and walked slowly down toward Daryl. He leaned back against the wall, his eyes on Beth as she came down toward him.

"Go for it," he instructed when she showed him the cards. Beth took a deep breath, and began to swipe the cards. One after another, a red light flashed indicating that the card was incorrect. She dropped each card after she used it on to the ground. Her hopes were starting to dwindle as she got to the last four cards. She held the card out and took a deep breath. The light flashed green. Beth was shocked, she didn't think it would work. She was so shocked in fact, that she stood frozen instead of the turning the door handle, causing the light to once again go red. She smiled back at Daryl, and he grinned.

"Next time, maybe we should open the door," he said as he came to stand by her side. "Try the other cards anyway," he said as she handed him the card that had worked. She burned through the next two, and came up empty. On the last one, she got another green light. This time, they pushed the door open, each of them now holding two working key cards.

It was dark. They couldn't see anything, or hear anything except a gentle electric humming.

"Hello?," Beth called out, just in case there was someone down there. She got no answer in response. Daryls hands were running along the walls, finally discovering a large, mult-switch panel. In one sweep, he illuminated the extremely large room in light. Beth gasped at the room around her.

There was a layer of dust covering everything. This safe zone was as untouched as the rest of the house, obviously meant to protect the family from whatever happened out in the real world. The large room was stylish, beautiful, and served as a living space. There were three large couches, a coffee table and end tables, and a large 12 person dining table. Priceless works of art decorated the walls, as did a large television set and numerous numbered doors leading to mysterious rooms. Next to the television on either side was a large collection of DVDs and Blue Rays, as well as Cds. Underneath the TV was a bookshelf dedicated to the young child that had once lived there, with childrens books and toys.

Daryl came to stand behind Beth as her eyes ran over the movie titles, a soft smile on her lips.

"It's been so long since I watched a movie," she said to him.

"We gotta check the rooms, Beth," he said in response. She sighed and walked up to the first door of twelve.

They swung the door open, stepping back quickly, just in case. When they heard nothing moving around inside, they turned on the light.

A large, fully equipped kitchen greeted them. There was a large, stainless steel refrigerator, that was empty aside from a small box of baking soda. Beth walked over to the restaurant style walk in freezer and pulled it open, immediately wrapped up in the cold mist that escaped.

"Daryl, look!," she exclaimed as her eyes took in the wrapped meat and frozen foods. Meat. Real, honest to goodness meat that didn't include squirrel and deer. And was that?

"Bacon!," she exclaimed, picking up the pack of meat and hugging it to her chest. Daryl couldn't help but laugh out loud. Holy shit. How did they get so lucky?

"Drop the bacon, Beth. There's more to see," he responded, beginning to sound just as excited as Beth was.

It was clear what they had stumbled upon. Whoever had lived in this house was clearly prepared for whatever the world would throw at them. They were preppers and Beth had never been more grateful for a group of strangers in her life. Except maybe for Bill and Mac. She was still plenty grateful to them.

She stepped out of the freezer, closing the door firmly behind her. They threw open each cabinet, pulled each drawer, all full of cooking supplies, dishes and cutlery. The cabinet next to the 6 burner stove was full of spices. But other then the freezer, the kitchen was absent of food. They walked from the kitchen, turning off the light behind them, and moved to the next door.

They opened it and flipped the light switch.

"You have got to be kidding me," Daryl exclaimed as they viewed 7 aisles of canned, boxed and bagged goods. As well as an aisle of soda, water, sugar, and powdered juices. It was a God damned grocery store inside of a house. Beths eyes turned toward his, huge. Making sure he couldn't see, Beth pinched herself to be sure she wasn't dreaming. She wasn't.

The next room was used for medical supplies. There was a computer, two walls covered in medicines, bandages and surgical tools, as well as two hospital beds and a surgical table in the center of the room, all separated by a curtains.

Room four. A large, walk in closet, with clothing, shoes and even accessories separated by sizes and genders. Beth grabbed a leather jacket off of the rack and shrugged in on. Daryl grinned at her.

"Lookin' good, Greene," he said. She smiled at him as they moved on to the next room.

Room 5 appeared to be some sort of recreation room. There was a fully stocked bar, a pool table and a small table. Rooms 6, 7, 8 and 9 were bedrooms. Room 6 was decorated as a childrens room, with a crib and a twin bunk bed set. There were toys and a small, school like area with a chalk board and books, along with two desks. Rooms 7 and 8 were identical and easily the smallest rooms they had come across thus far. They were basically just meant for sleeping, a bunk bed on each of the three walls, offering 6 beds in each. Room 9 must've been considered the master suite, even though it was the same size as the others. It held one, king sized bed, a dresser, and a small on-suite bathroom.

Room 10 was the bathroom. It was the same size as the bedrooms, with two toilet stalls and two enclosed showers for privacy. There was also a floor length mirror and two sinks.

As they walk through all of the rooms, they felt almost as if they weren't really there at all. It all seemed too incredible to believe that no one had stumbled upon this place. Completely unrealistic. And equally as unrealistic that whatever was powering all of this had held out since the beginning of it all. Nothing had been touched. Not in a long time. It was obvious by everything they had seen. But how?

There were only two rooms that they had yet to enter, and that was because when they stood before them, they discovered an issue. They both required key card access, and the keys that had worked for the front door, were not the keys that were needed for these doors. They still hadn't found the power sources, and it was clear that whatever was behind those doors were important enough to protect. Beth went back to the entrance and retrieved the discarded keys from the ground. She gave half to Daryl and took the other half, each of them trying the different doors.

When none of their cards worked, they switched piles and continued to try them. Beths door opened first. "Daryl," she said smiling as she tugged on the door. Finally, behind door number 11, they had found the control room.

Beth slipped the key into her back pocket as they walked inside and looked around, their mouths hanging open at the immensity of the room. Not only did it hold at least four different computers, situated in front of a large screen, but it also held the sources of the power and the water supply. Three generators, humming along smoothly, surrounded by at least 15 aisles of fuel. Enough to last them years, even if they used all three generators and continued to power the entire house. And on one of the desks next to the computers, Beth saw a layout of the water piping plan.

She picked it up and scanned it, not understanding much but getting the gist of it. They had a direct line to the lake that was a couple blocks away. A tunnel that drew water directly from it, and a purifying system that made it safe to drink and use. She laughed lightly as she dropped the plans back to the table and looked at the computers.

"I don't know much about computers," Beth admitted as she stood over the control area. "But Maggie's pretty good with them. She could probably figure all of this out," she said smiling over at Daryl. It didn't even have to be discussed. They would be moving the group there. They would be stupid not to. They had the kind of security in this house that they couldn't dream of having any where else. They would have to figure out the details, but there was no doubt in either of their minds that everyone would agree. As crazy, and as unimaginable and as unlikely as it was, they had found home.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Beth and Daryl spent the remainder of their day searching for the key that would unlock Door 12. But they came up empty handed. When the time came, they both securely locked the house behind them, leaving only one window on the bottom floor cracked for entrance. They both had huge grins on their faces as they waited for Michonne, Maggie and Glenn at the gates to the subdivision.

Michonne arrived first, not looking as if she had as good a time as Daryl and Beth had. She had fresh walker blood splattered across her shirt, and only two small bags of supplies. She eyed them both suspiciously, taking an extra glance at the incredibly clean Beth with a raised eyebrow.

"Have fun, you two?," she asked sarcastically. Daryl just grinned. Beth nodded her head enthusiastically as Maggie and Glenn came out of the clearing. They were grinning, too, but Beth assumed it was for different reasons. They also held only two bags.

"Find a lake?," Maggie asked Beth as she viewed her clean appearance.

"No," she answered laughing, still not believing their luck. "We found so much more then that."


	15. Authors Note:

_**Dear Loyal and Amazing Readers,**_

_**Originally, I was going to keep going with this story, "Finding the Sunshine.." . But I think that I am going to call part one complete and move on to part Two: Same storyline, just a new title and a new direction. Because, well, Daryl did find the Sunshine. He found Beth. And now we have to figure out what happens next. So, keep an eye out for Part Two in the Finding the Sunshine stories. "Finding Home" I'll update this note to let you know when Chapter One is posted. ;) Thanks for reading ya'll. I appreciate you all.**_

_**UPDATE: 11-18-2014**_

_**FINDING HOME NOW POSTED. FIRST CHAPTER UP. CHECK OUT THE COVER ART! ;) **_


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